This is really pretty simple, or ought to be.

That’s some watchdog you got there…

On Tuesday, CNN released a press announcement unequivocally stating its support for the background check provisions of proposed gun control legislation. It declared that it would devote two days to the issue, and on Wednesday, Democratic Senator Joe Manshin (WV) thanked CNN news anchors for their support in the gun debate, saying to John Berman and Christine Roman, who had just presented, as promised, a completely one-sided view of the issue, “We appreciate your support.”

This, from the self-proclaimed “Most Trusted Name in News,” is the canary dying in the mine of honest, objective, ethical national journalism. It shouldn’t matter if you approve of background checks, though that is CNN’s disgraceful gambit: a large majority of the public does, and a large majority of the public approves of unethical journalism when it supports their preference. Not to be indelicate, but they are fools. A news organization that only presents one side of an issue or that slants its coverage to influence policy isn’t a news organization at all, but an ideological shill, and a tool of political manipulation.

CNN is a disgrace to its profession, and at this point in United States history, journalism is already a disgraceful profession. Liberals and progressives with any integrity at all should deplore CNN’s open advocacy. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, or the position. This is a dire threat to open discourse, an informed public, balanced reporting and the press’s proper role as a check on power, rather than a tool of it.

I’ll wait to see how many voices on the left are smart and principled enough to protest the dangerous game CNN is playing and to see it as the threat to democracy that it is . It should be fascinating.

And it’s likely to be depressing, too

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Sources: CNN, Newser

Graphic: Sultan Knish

Ethics Alarms attempts to give proper attribution and credit to all sources of facts, analysis and other assistance that go into its blog posts. If you are aware of one I missed, or believe your own work was used in any way without proper attribution, please contact me, Jack Marshall, at  jamproethics@verizon.net.